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IN THIS ISSUE

• Kate Brookfield concludes her story about a geological expedition
• Don Henderson forwards an article about a disturbing trend in Ontario
• Gerrit de Leeuw sends an essay about the nature of youth
• Catherine Green shares the best divorce letter ever
• Sites are suggested by Carol Hansen, Jack Peaker, and Tom Telfer

Kate Brookfield continues her description of a

JOURNEY ALONG THE SOUTH-EAST COAST OF TAIWAN

We stayed two nights at the Ruisuei Hot Springs. The guide to this area reported that these hot springs are known as the "Baby Boy Springs" as honeymooning couples who enjoy its waters tend to have boy children. Probably a 50:50 chance!

The first day was mainly a day for geologists and a pleasant ride for me. I had a good book for the long stops at rock faces. We went as far south as the outskirts of Taitung city, but as there were no more geological sites to explore, we turned back and Taitung will have to wait for another visit.

One interesting stop en route was the Tropic of Cancer site. As you know, the earth has these imaginary lines, with the one round the centre we all know as the equator dividing the north and south. The tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are the lines north and south, respectively, that mark the change from the tropical regions to the temperate regions. The tropic of Cancer runs through the centre of Taiwan, which makes it a subtropical region. The monument marking this imaginary line had a lot of information about the structure of the earth and the planet signs. See my photo album for more details.

We also stopped at a tea plantation and had a tea-tasting ceremony similar to the one described in my July visit to Taiwan last year. This plantation was very old and we were told the tea plants were over 100 years old. They were also growing coffee, but Barry told us Taiwan coffee is bitter and not very good.

By far the most interesting stop on our journey back to Taipei was the drive through Taroka National Park. The Taroka gorge is, I believe, one of the deepest in the world. The marble canyon walls, the white water of the rushing river metres below, and the lush vegetation make this a tourist´s dream. In some places the gorge towers above the road so you can´t even see the sky. We did not have time to explore the whole park, which covers 120,000 hectares. The highest mountains in the park rise to 3,700 metres.

The Liwu River cuts through the central section of the gorge and enters the Pacific. Over the years the river has forged many deep ravines and waterfalls falling from tremendous heights. Hidden along trails are ancient temples, shrines, and hot springs. We stuck mainly to roads that are navigable by cars, but Mike did take one trail and we waited at the bridge for him to appear down the treacherous looking footpath. With my history of broken ankles on mountain trails, I played safe and just enjoyed the views from the road. I did climb up a lot of well made steps to a campsite for a magnificent view. The campsites provide wooden platforms on which to pitch tents. The guide also informed us that more than 50% of Taiwan´s wild animals live in this gorge, including their black bear and wild boar. Our short visit did not do justice to the vastness of the region and it definitely calls for a second, longer visit.

Another place we stopped at was the Ami Cultural village. The Ami are one of several aboriginal Taiwan people. They are known for their wonderful wood carvings. Unfortunately, there was a sign forbidding the taking of photographs, which was a shame as the explanations for some of the complicated carvings described deep philosophical ideas on how to live a good life. This village had been inhabited by the Japanese when they invaded and ruled Taiwan for many years. Some Japanese houses were still intact, showing how these simply-built houses with cedar tiled roofs have withstood the ravages of time and climate. In other places the houses were in ruins, but you could still see broken sinks and baths decorated with mosaic tiles.

We stopped at this place quite early in the morning and when I was climbing up the steps to see the ruins, I heard trumpets blaring, and following the noise, came to a group of what looked like high school students. They were standing in formation like an army, each ´soldier´ carrying not a gun, but a broomstick. The "sergeant major" was bellowing out commands, and they all did a beautiful right turn in formation, and marched away in single file. I took a little video of the scene. As they filed past me, I whispered to the last one, "Harry Potter" and he burst out grinning. Later, as I came down the steps, two of the troop were brushing the steps and one was my Harry Potter. He saluted and grinned as I passed, and then told his friends what I had said. But this cleaning up was a serious task. They had spread out and were brushing all the paths and cleaning up the place. Afterwards, I wondered if they were prisoners doing public service instead of national service!

Our return trip was pretty quick with no stops for views and before we knew it we were back in the tunnel and home to Taipei.

Don Henderson forwarded an article written by Monte Sonnenberg for the Simcoe Reformer, which told of an alarming trend:

LEFT WITH NO MARKET, GROWERS DESTROY TREES

According to the article, thousands of trees are being pulled in response to the closure of the Del-Monte canning factory in St. David´s, the only canning factory for peaches in southern Ontario. With the plant gone, local growers have nowhere to ship their fruit.

The Florida company which owns Del-Monte will still be selling canned peaches under their label, but the fruit will be bought in China. However, despite that fact, government laws allow them to be sold in Ontario labelled "Product of Canada." The law as it stands allows this claim if half the value of the product is produced in Canada. In this case, the can and label account for more than half the value of a tin of peaches, so it can legally be claimed to be a Canadian product.

In addition to depriving local fruit growers of their livelihood, the fruit is being sold under false pretences. What shopper, reading that the tin of peaches she is holding is a product of Canada, will suspect that the fruit has been shipped from half way around the world?

Ken Porteous of Simcoe, who is destroying 9,000 peach trees, said: "We are running out of food supply for Canadians because farmers are getting out of the business. We can´t compete with slave labour. They are talking about food shortages around the world, and we´re pulling our trees out of the ground."

Ernie Racz of Vittoria is quoted as saying: "This has to be brought out more. Where does our food come from? How can we compete with China? What is their spraying program? Do they pay Workers Compensation? Canadian Pension Plan? Employment Insurance? Health care? You have to have a safe work environment. You have to pay minimum wage. How do we compete with that? Face it - they don´t want farmers in this country. We are the last generation of farmers. No one else is taking up the profession."

Debbie Haegens, who with her husband, Tony, has pulled up 7,000 peach trees in Forestville, said:"We don´t understand the Canadian government. We are losing our fruit and vegetable markets left and right. Farmers can see in the near future that we won´t have our own local produce anymore. Are Canadians ready for that? Soon we will be saying - ´Good things used to grow in Ontario.´"

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced that new regulations will be brought in to close the loophole that allows foreign produce to be sold as a Canadian product. The term "Made in Canada" will still be allowed if a disclaimer clearly states that some of the contents were imported. The Liberal critic for agricultural affairs, Wayne Easter, supports the move, but "hopes that this is not more political rhetoric from the prime minister."

The author of the original article, Monte Sonnenberg, interviewed Porteous again after the announcement was made: "He said the government´s actions in this area are ´like locking the barn door after the horse is gone.´ Porteous added yesterday´s announcement doesn´t make a difference because growers like him don´t have processors to sell to."

Too little, too late. Too late to prevent the closure of four of five canneries in Ontario; too late to save all the jobs in those processors; too late to help the farmers who sold their produce to those canneries; and too late to save the thousands of peach trees which have already been torn out of the ground.

Gerrit de Leeuw forwards this essay by Samuel Ullman (1840-1924):

YOUTH

Youth is not a time of life - it is a state of mind. It is not a matter of red cheeks, red lips and supple knees. It is a temper of the will; a quality of the imagination; a vigour of the emotions; it is a freshness of the deep springs of life. Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over a life of ease. This often exists in a man of fifty more than in a boy of twenty. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years; people grow old by deserting their ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair - these are the long, long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust.

Whether seventy or sixteen, there is in every being´s heart a love of wonder; the sweet amazement at the stars and star-like things and thoughts; the undaunted challenge of events, the unfailing childlike appetite for what comes next, and the joy in the game of life.

You are as young as your optimism, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair.

In the central place of your heart there is a wireless station. So long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, grandeur, courage, and power from the earth, from men and from the heavens - so long are you young. When the wires are all down and the central places of your heart are covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then are you grown old indeed!

Catherine Green sends

THE BEST DIVORCE LETTER EVER

Dear Wife: I´m writing you this letter to tell you that I´m leaving you forever...

I´ve been a good man to you for seven years and I have nothing to show for it. These last days have been hell. Your boss called to tell me that you quit your job today and that was the last straw.

Last week, you came home and did not even notice that I had a new haircut, had cooked your favourite meal and even wore a brand new pair of silk boxers.

You ate in two minutes, and went straight to sleep after watching all of your soaps. You don´t tell me you love me anymore; you don´t want sex or anything that connects us as husband and wife. Either you´re cheating on me or you don´t love me anymore. Whatever the case, I´m gone.

Your EX-Husband.

P.S. Your SISTER and I are moving away to West Virginia together to have a real life! So don´t try to reach me.

Dear Ex-Husband: Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter. It´s true that you and I have been married for seven years, although a good man is a far cry from what you´ve been. I watch my soaps so much because they drown out your constant whining and griping. Too bad that doesn´t work.

I DID notice when you got a hair cut last week, but the first thing that came to mind was ´You look just like a girl!´ Since my mother raised me not to say anything if you can´t say something nice, I didn´t comment.

And when you cooked my favourite meal, you must have gotten me confused with MY SISTER, since I stopped eating pork years ago. About those new silk boxers: I turned away from you because the $49.99 price tag was still on them, and I prayed that it was a coincidence that MY SISTER had just borrowed fifty dollars from me that morning.

After all of this, I still loved you and felt that we could work it out. So when I hit the lotto for ten million dollars, I quit my job and bought us two tickets to Jamaica. But when I got home you were gone.

Everything happens for a reason, I guess. I hope you have the fulfilling life you always wanted.

My lawyer said that the letter you wrote ensures you won´t get a dime from me.

So take care.

Your Ex-Wife, Rich As Hell and Free!

P.S. I don´t know if I ever told you this, but my sister Carla was born Carl. I hope that´s not a problem.

THIS WEEK´S SUGGESTED SITES

Carol Hansen sends this site for people who enjoy Trivial Pursuit:

http://www.animaxinteractive.com/banana/Games/tictactoe.html

For those who like puzzles, this site sent by Jack Peaker is a challenge:

http://funstufftosee.com/frogleaptest.html

Tom Telfer writes: When you click on the link, a series of about 15 pictures comes up. Click on a photo in that category that appeals to you. At the end it will give you a profile of yourself, called a visual DNA:

http://DNA.imagini.net/friends

Tom also suggests this site, which may prove very useful:

http://www.allmyfaves.com/

Any simple problem can be made insoluble if enough meetings are held to discuss it. - Mitchell´s Law of Committees